William s



WI LLIAM VS. 4APPLEGE T, OF C RA N BE RRY, NEW- J V1E RSE Y'. Letta-3 Puma No. 87,899, dated March 1o, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N Tama-courantes.

The Schedule referred to i'n these Letters Patent and making part of the name To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. APPLEGET, of Cranberry, in the county of Middlesex, in the'State. of- New lJersey, have invented a new` and improved Carriage and Wagon-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de# scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which#- Figure l-is a perspective view of acarriage-axle, with the shackles, or two sections of my couplings, belonging thereto, attached.

Figure 2 is a detached view of a similar section. v Figure 3 is aview of a clip, which secures the shackles to the axle.

part of my coupling, which is connected with the shafts or tongue.' l

Figure 5 is a view of a pair of shafts, with the journals of -my coupling, belonging thereto, attached.

Figure 6 is also a view of a pair of shafts, which are connected to an axle by means of my couplings. Figure 7 is a View of the sand-guard. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in the mode of attaching shafts and tongues to the axles of carriages, sta-ges, wagons, sleighs, and other vehicles.

The object of the .invention isto adapt a coupling, whereby the shafts or tongue can readily be made secure, and, at the same time,'adjnsted or moved at pleasure, without the use of bolts or nuts. l

This object is attained by applying the shackles or a part of my couplings to the axletree,`on either side, near the hubs, and the journal, or other section, to the shafts, as in the old method, the different sections being so formed that those on 'the shafts can readily be fitted to those on the aule, and, at the same time, the tongue or shafts be raised or lowered at will.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

, This coupling is composed of four sections, a b c d, which can be made of iron, or other suitable material.

The shackles, or sections, a b, are alike in siz'eand construction, and are attached to an axle, E, and. the

journals, or sections, c d, to a tongue-or a pair of shafts, as shown in tig. 5, which are also alike in make.

The axle E is made of wood and iron, inl the ordinary way, and the shackles a b are secured to it, ata suitable distance from the hubs, by means of clips,in the usual way, as shown at f in iig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the journal, or that The journals c ll-areseciir'ed to the shafts by means of rivets y, iig. 5, said sect-ions .reaching part way up the shafts, and acting as braces in the ordinary way.

The shackles a b'are similar, in make, to those now in use for such purposes, except they are open at one side on the top, as shown at h in figs. 1 and 2.

The journals c d are made with an arm, i, formed with them, somewhat like a letter T, as shown in fig. 4.

When desirable to adjust either tongue or shafts,` they are raised snicieutly so as to allow the arm i of journals c tl, as shown in fig. 4, to pass through openings h. of shackles a b, (seeigs. 1 and 2,) when the journals c d will readily liti in the shackles a b, as shownat m in [ig. l, it being impossible for them to slip ont, as Vlong as the parts remain entire, till the shafts are raised again as they were, in order to adjust them, the part,

or arm, i., iig'. 4, haring to be brought to such a position as to lpass through opening, h, tig. 2, before the shafts can be removed.

In order to keep the dirt and sand from interfering with and wearing the couplings, a guard is placed over each journal, as shown at lr, figs, 5 and 6. This guard can be made of iron or other proper substance, and extends far enough up the shafts to be made secure by two or more i'ivets. When the journals c d enter the shackles a b, this guard lies close over the openings in the top of the shackles, as shown at lr in fig. 6, thus forming a shield to the dirt and sand.

This invention is useful, for it is often necessary to change the shafts-for the tongue, and vice versa, and, by this means, it vcan readily be done withouta wrench or pincers, the old `method of removing' the bolt being and nut being rusted. It is also more useful, and preferable on account of guarding against accident, as, by

this means, the shafts or tonguer cannot become detached as long as they remain whole, which they might otherwise do through the loss of a nut or bolt.

' Having thus given a description of the operation and construction o f my invention,

What I claim as new, and ters Patent, is`

The sand-guard fr, in combination with the. shackles desire to secure by Let.-

-a b and journals c d, constructed, arranged, and operating as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

WM. S. APPLEGET.

Witnesses:

WM. 1?. CLAYTON, EDWARD V. WAKELEY. 

